kris voice: theyre just normal men... just innocent men|Group MTV | Car Wash Car

Vinzent Mayer

The statue’s other half of face reveal (or lack of, rather) was unnerving, as she spoke. And as if there’s any break… Of course, Fenna was going to die. The question is how. And that was not something Vinzent was really looking forward.

As he watched, Vinzent could only think of one thing.

Eye for eye, teeth for teeth, huh…? If Atsuko died in the fire, then it’s natural Fenna has to as well… According to whatever bullshit is going on there.

But is it right? Is it really? He can’t tell what’s going on in Fenna’s head, what her thoughts are. But…

It was clear she was trying for them, until the very last moments. As quickly as Fenna was caught on fire, Vinzent closed his eyes, optiong to only hear screams. It… was better than seeing her being burned alive. He didn’t want to see this. But… Really, now. Her screams are going to haunt him for a long, long while.

… The smell again.

…

… Then. With no break, Jack gets a punishment. Right in front of them.

On one hand, Vinzent would be happy to see Jack get his comeuppance. It’s what he fucking deserves. On the other… Seeing this happening right after the execution? It… Was… A lot more than he thought.

… Then the next car. From the trial to this new car? It… What the hell?

You know what, though? Vinzent isn’t complaining. This was better than the trial car, and while not the Ideal Place he’d like to be at. It was still much more peaceful. And taking a look at who was with him…

Melvin and Taran. Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

He should say sorry to them both for how he acted during the trial. But really, how was he going to word that?

Vinzent was frankly tired. He still had tears stains and he still wasn’t feeling much better. He should write something for someone, he knows that. But… Sitting there in awkward silence wouldn’t help much. What to do… What to do…? Taking out his notebook, he just stared at it for a bit, seemingly in thoughts. But it did look like he was half-expecting to be adressed to.

… Still, he appreciated it was not the worst people he teamed up with, in the end.

Melvin Greene

Well, that sucked. Melvin is having too many thoughts right now and enjoying none of them. The worst of it hasn’t really processed yet - the sheer horror of the display, sure, he could tell that was fucked up, but beyond that, despite everything, it just really isn’t sinking in yet. It is all frankly a bit too overwhelming and he is a bit too exhausted to be properly freaked out by it right now. Not that he isn’t freaking out a bit. He’s still very much doing that, don’t get him wrong. It’s just a quieter kind while he tries to figure out how to scrub all of that out of his memory.

Something funny about witnessing all that and then getting shoved back into an actual car anyways. It isn’t completely lost on him that none of this would be happening (to him, at least) if he’d just stayed in his damn car in the first place. At least he’d be alone. Not even letting him drive the damn thing. Still, even in spite of everything, considering who he’d wound up stuck with? For once, it genuinely could in fact be worse. Taran? Cool. Vinzent? A little ‘uh oh!’ ever since the letters car but would you look at that, seems like neither of them can keep hoping they won’t have to talk to each other for much longer.

Especially after, uh.

Whatever that was.

During the trial and all.

Sheesh that guy could hold a grudge. Not great! Not great. He was mostly sure he had not done anything as bad as Jack but it was probably better not to take any chances now that two people were dead, huh. Not that Vinzent seemed the type to go and do that, but, well. Fenna didn’t either. But Taran was also here and that would be obscenely awkward even for him like, hey, yeah, I know we just went through probably one of the most stressful things ever but remember that thing from that other time? Sorry man. Yeah. Great conversation starter. He instinctively reaches for his lighter just to have something to do, but stops the moment his fingers brush past it. Maybe… maybe not right now, actually. He pulls his hand back out of his pocket and back to his side, resting on - wait a second he still has the stupid coconut on hand??

“Shit, I was gonna get rid of that thing. Dammit.”

He completely forgot to either leave it behind or otherwise ditch it like he’d intended to. Typical, really.

Taran

Taran stared at Fenna as she died. He felt like he had to, even when he could barely make her burning body out through the tears. He couldn’t move, but he could bear witness and promise again that we had to leave. Only after the perverse holodeck faded back to an empty room did he manage to turn his head, just in time to watch Nemesis punish Jack for being everyone’s least favorite teammate.

That was a form of mental whiplash he wasn’t prepared for. His social filter faltered and he found he really didn’t give a damn, not an emotional one anyway. He was shocked, but not sad or angry or worried. Did he really hate Jack like that? In that same emotionless space he felt a sense of stark admiration for Nemesis. The whole car had felt like being lost in the woods without supplies, the cat and the judge and the fury all playing predators… but in a sense, they were good at it. The injustice here happened when a bunch of bad prey got on the train. What to do about it? Win. Somehow. Duh. But really, how?

Taran’s subconscious was hard at work putting the parts together, but his conscious self has about had it. He was speechless as Jack fell to the ground and as everyone was shuffled out of the punishment room and shrunk down, put in a box within a box within a car wash for that box. With Melvin and Vinzent. That would work, he felt like he was among friends. Some tension between them but nobody was going to have an outburst, surely.

If they did started throwing hands he’d call this whole thing off launch them and himself through the car windows and leave them to the mercy of the big spinny brushes.

He leaned against the wall of the little four-door and tried to sleep.

Melvin Greene “Shit, I was gonna get rid of that thing. Dammit.”

but ah, coconut

“Want me to take it? You can just throw it in my bag. With the other coconut.” It would keep it out of sight in the locked car, at least.

Vinzent Mayer

Well.

Vinzent was not adressed to exactly, but he still had his curiousity as to what was going on as to whenever they’ll talk to him while he was still thinking-

Wait, why the fuck is Melvin still having the coconut?

… Anyway it doesn’t look like he intended to keep that, so Vinzent opted to not talk about that-

Taran “Want me to take it? You can just throw it in my bag. With the other coconut.” It would keep it out of sight in the locked car, at least.

WHY DO THEY BOTH STILL HAVE THE COCONUTS.

If there’s something these two managed to do, it’s to get Vinzent’s attention. As tired as he was, he was… Surprised, puzzled even. And looking at them, like he was going to say something. But nothing came to his mind yet.

… Wait. He scribbled something really fast in his notebook, put the idea before it’s gone.

No, the coconut has nothing to do with that.

But now that he has written it down, Vinzent looked back at the other two guys again, then looked away sheepishly. Might as well talk then, just to get it over with, instead of letting it eat him away. He had to say something for what he has done. So when the moment was right…

“… I am sorry, both of you. For how I acted. I.. I wasn’t… I’m not happy. I’ve made an utter fool of myself in front of everyone and I…”

“Well… I know I can’t take back what I said, but… No. Yeah. I’m just really sorry.”

The redness still hasn’t gone away, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore…? Still, there seemed to be something else he was going to say, but he kept to himself. It’s none of their concern… But it’s pretty obvious what, or perhaps who it would be about.

Put more ideas on the notebook, continue. Sketch it, draw it. Just keep going… Until he’s being adressed again.

Melvin Greene

It’s getting coconutty in here.

Taran “Want me to take it? You can just throw it in my bag. With the other coconut.”

The look on his face makes it exceedingly clear Melvin is vaguely questioning why Taran was also carrying one of these things around even if the offer is clearly appreciated. He’s not judging, just. Huh. You balling too, bro???

“You sure? Don’t want it to make a mess of your stuff. It’s kinda damaged from when– uh, yeah, it’s beat to hell.”

And lightly greased, too. That’s what happens when you spend god-knows-how-long throwing these things at a tree. Vinzent’s awkward silence continues to Kill Him because the silence is unbearable but he doesn’t know what to say either and Taran had been resting and gee it sure is boring in here, but this peace is what all true warriors strive for, I just wonder what Neko-Neko is up to. The conductor and their minions have seized the train. D∞ CDI moment.

Oh yay Vinzent is talking again.

Vinzent Mayer “… I am sorry, both of you. For how I acted. I.. I wasn’t… I’m not happy. I’ve made an utter fool of myself in front of everyone and I…”

Oh no he’s beating himself up.

Vinzent Mayer But it’s pretty obvious what, or perhaps who it would be about.

Maybe to people with functioning observational skills it is!

Other than a little bit of frazzlement over just how angry he could get, Melvin had not been paying attention to basically anything else, finding it hard enough just to stay on actual topic for the most part. If he’d noticed anything then he forgor by now <3

Still. Uh. Yeah.

“It’s whatever, man. Not like you were the worst asshole in there or anything.”

…

“ ‘sides, not like you need to say that to me. Pretty sure I still owe you one from. You know. The thing, so m’sorry about that.”

Taran don’t ask it’s so fine. It’s soooo fine.

Anyways. This is great! There is no residual tension left in here it’s allllll taken care of. Wonder how everyone else is doing? Eh. They probably tired themselves out with the trial. He can’t imagine anything much crazier than this happening in any of the other cars despite Knowing These People.

Taran

Melvin Greene “You sure? Don’t want it to make a mess of your stuff. It’s kinda damaged from when– uh, yeah, it’s beat to hell.”

“Oh, if it’s gonna leak we could just have it now. What, uh, happened to it…?”

Rolled low on the tact check. The unease specifically between Melvin and Vinzent was slowly waning, which is good, but that coconut was clearly loaded.

Vinzent Mayer “… I am sorry, both of you. For how I acted. I.. I wasn’t… I’m not happy. I’ve made an utter fool of myself in front of everyone and I…”

“Apology accepted. I think we need to put a lot of stuff behind us if we’re going to keep it together in here, the easy way or the hard way. Especially stuff from the trial.”

A pause. The sounds of the car wash.

“There’s gonna be another one. I think I wanna be ready for it, and I’d like it if you guys were too.” He leaves the actionable side of that statement wide open.

Vinzent Mayer

Melvin Greene “It’s whatever, man. Not like you were the worst asshole in there or anything.”

…

“ ‘sides, not like you need to say that to me. Pretty sure I still owe you one from. You know. The thing, so m’sorry about that.”

Taran “Apology accepted. I think we need to put a lot of stuff behind us if we’re going to keep it together in here, the easy way or the hard way. Especially stuff from the trial.”

Vinzent has seemed to be satisfied with what he has put down on his notebook, both in notes and in drawings. He’ll simply work on it later once he’s alone. Because now? At least he was talking with the others. He remembered the incident with Melvin, yes but Vinzent assumed he was the one who fucked up. So… It’s nice to know that at least, there won’t be any more awkward vibes in this car. We’ll talk later! He did nod at Melvin to acknowledge what he has said.

And Taran accepted his apology as well, which was appreciated, really because this was nagging Vinzent a lot.

Now there’s only one man Vinzent needs to say sorry to. And now… He thinks he has found the rights words to put together later on. Now? He’ll simply focus on the current moment.

“Thank you both… And I agree, we should press ahead…”

A small smile of gratitude.

“I know it probably won’t be easy, but I am glad I can count on you guys. And I’ll definitely try to be more mindful.”

He closed his notebook and got up. While he hadn’t exactly said everything and things still weigh on him, but… It did feel lighter. And he wouldn’t want to drag the other two in his problems. That’s for Vinzent to deal with. While some thoughts are still brewing, it’s best to try to do something rather than nothing. He can’t expect a magical fix, but just trying his best and own up to his mistakes. That starts now.

Melvin Greene

Taran “Oh, if it’s gonna leak we could just have it now. What, uh, happened to it…?”

Ah, crap, he’s not just gonna let it go? Well, the sensible thing to do would just be to give a more honest account about it orrrr you know what we could do instead? Lie about it more because he is unreasonably embarrassed about how stupid it feels having done that while people were getting murdered and doing murder.

“Someone, uh, dropped it.” THAT’S A TERRIBLE LIE. “Or something. I dunno.” THAT’S WORSE! Melvin had already been getting a little antsy stuck in a slow-moving single-track car. This is not helping. I mean, it’s not really making anything worse - not like he’s being interrogated or anything and he does actually like both these people’s company. It is entirely impersonal when he thinks he would still like to get the hell out of here, actually.

Taran “There’s gonna be another one. I think I wanna be ready for it, and I’d like it if you guys were too.”

Vinzent Mayer “I know it probably won’t be easy, but I am glad I can count on you guys. And I’ll definitely try to be more mindful.”

Maybe the cars car wasn’t so bad, actually. He hadn’t been paying much attention to who else got shuffled where but at least it was a sure thing nobody in here was gonna stab one of the others for looking at them funny, or whatever. Let it last a bit longer before having to face the reality that someone had been killed and that it could well happen again.

“I don’t think I’m ever gonna be ready to do that again.” He’d just fumbled through that whole ordeal on blind trust and come out the other end looking like an idiot for the trouble. “Not like I’m smart enough to be any help, anyways, but…”

Well, what does he have to offer here? Not much. He’s almost thirty years old and he’s already wasted his entire life. Being a great reminder to everyone else that it could still be worse? Making them feel like geniuses comparatively? There was absolutely nothing he could meaningfully contribute that someone else wasn’t better at. Not like that was news to him, though.

“… guess I’ll try, not like there’s much choice.”